One of the best decisions any individual can make is to secure a house or apartment. Along with having a place to live, owning a property also entails stability for yourself and the other members of your family, a steady, long-term investment, and a quick source of cash if and when needed. If you cannot afford to pay for the entirety of the cost of one, there are plenty of reputable entities offering a wide range of housing loans based on your current situation and specific needs. These include conventional loans, jumbo loans, and other options such as VA, FHA, and USDA loans.
The same is true for a business, especially one at the beginning stages of its development. Unless you are working freelance from your bedroom or basement, by either purchasing or renting adequate office space, your company will have a solid foundation on which to build on, grow, and ultimately succeed. Not only that, but it will also possess a place to hold meetings, conduct daily activities, and welcome potential and existing customers.
But while finding a suitable location to conduct your business from is imperative, there are other things you should also consider if you want your enterprise to prosper. Here are two of the most important ones.
Doing the Little Things
In a 100-meter race, the difference between winning a gold medal and coming in last is less than half a second. For a country to win the most coveted price in competitive soccer, the World Cup, it only needs to score one more goal than the opposition. These are two examples of how success and failure are oftentimes determined by very small margins, margins that, while seemingly negligible, can make all the difference in the world.
No matter how intelligent you are, how captivating a personality you have, or how cutting-edge your product or service may be, there will more than likely be others engaging in the same thing. Furthermore, whether they find themselves ahead of you or behind, chances are they will not rest. They will continue developing. They will not cease to improve and innovate. As such, you shouldn’t either.
But how can an organization with limited resources do this? How can you compete if your priority is to survive? While there are no easy answers to these questions, among others, it starts by doing the little things that matter most. It’s about welcoming people with a friendly smile, responding to emails on time, treating others with respect even if they don’t buy, and always being reliable and honest with your promises.
One Deal at a Time
If you have more customers, you will have more revenue and, as a result, more profit for your organization and your employees. If I eat two slices of pizza instead of one, I will be fuller and more satisfied with my meal. This is common sense and as straightforward a statement as you will ever hear.
Still, that doesn’t mean that the “the more, the merrier” approach will always work for your enterprise. It doesn’t mean customer acquisition should be at the heart of your corporate strategy or the only thing you spend valuable resources focusing on.
When people are happy about something, they usually tell a few others, possibly one or two. On the contrary, when they are unhappy or dissatisfied, they will inform at least five or six, perhaps many more. Hence, the important thing is not how many people walk through your doors and purchase what you offer. Rather, the key is the number of customers who are satisfied and willing to refer you to others.
If you own a bakery and have the resources to produce three birthday or wedding cakes in one day, don’t promise to make six. If it will take your auto shop one hour to check the brakes, the tire pressures, and wash and polish a vehicle, don’t tell the driver you can do it in 30 minutes. In cases like these, the only thing you will be doing is setting yourself up for failure, not to mention damaging your reputation and losing customer trust.
As we have seen, there are two essential factors in running a business effectively. The first is to take the time and effort to do the little things that pack the biggest punch with your customers. The second is to know, understand, and accept your limitations regarding the results you can offer your clientele and the time it will take you to do this. By doing so, you will be giving your starting enterprise the best chances of success.